American Aurors and Werewolves
by Lillith Nocturne
Summary: Ellen Wilde, quirky American Auror, travels with 5 other Aurors to help the Order during a rough time. She soon finds herself comfortable with new customs, and growing quite fond of one Remus Lupin, the resident werewolf at Grimmauld. Remus/OC OOTP
1. Apparition and New Faces

_AN: Okay, I'm trying something different here. I'm not sure whether I like it or not but I felt like putting it up because I think it deserves a chance. Let me know whether you want it to continue or not because if I don't get and reviews I'll assume you don't and remove it. Well, here we go._

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Ellen Wilde blew the hair from her eyes as she scuttled into the American Order of Protection for Non-Magical Beings, arms tired and well hidden my folders. She carefully placed her arm load on the edge of her desk, making sure they wouldn't fall, and tied her hair back before taking a well deserved seat at her desk. She let out a big sigh and chuckled at the look of amusement Mr. Bierce, her boss, was giving her.

"Wilde, you need to get it together." he laughed and shook his head, pushing the folders from the edge and sitting on the corner of her desk. "Coffee?" he asked.

"Ah, no, that's what causes my scatter brained problems." Ellen laughed, leaning back comfortably in her chair. She furrowed her brows at the look of concentration and thought on her bosses face. "I hate it when you get that look. It usually means you're going to make me do something entirely too unpleasant." she said nervously.

"Nah, not today at least." Mr. Bierce laughed. "No, I was just thinking about all the problems they're having over there in London right now." he sighed heavily. Ellen nodded gravely. She had been there when Albus Dumbledore had apparated in and informed them he might be needing their assistance. "I was thinking of sending some people, but I'm not sure."

"Well, maybe we _should_ send a few Aurors over. When we had problems with a few of their Death Eaters coming in and stirring up trouble they came to us, we didn't even have to ask." Ellen said reasonably, sitting up straight. "I could go and take, say, five other Aurors with me." she offered. Mr. Bierce's eyebrows rose.

"You'd really go over there into all that fighting?" he asked softly, slightly surprised. Ellen snorted.

"Hell yes, I would. They helped us out, we should help them." she shrugged. Mr. Bierce considered it for a moment and nodded slowly.

"I'll go send out some memos and we can have a meeting in an hour." he beamed in pride. "Good idea, Wilde." he nodded, giving her a pat on the back before jogging to his office. Ellen smiled contentedly as she leaned back in her chair. After an hour of shuffling through photos of convicted felons and hardened wizards that she had helped catch, she felt a tiny paper airplane swoop and catch in her curly hair. She rolled her eyes and yanked it out, glaring in the direction of her bosses office.

_Auror Meeting_

_Bierce's office, ASAP._

_Only those prepared and willing to travel need show._

_-Bierce_

Ellen shook her head and stood with a yawn as she marched towards Bierce's office. She glanced around and noticed that all but seven or eight of the twenty five Aurors were heading towards Bierce's office and the ones that weren't coming were the ones with families. She took a seat on her bosses desk and watched the other Aurors seat themselves in a confused chatter.

"Alright, Wilde, what's this about traveling?" David Montgomery, a man that had been a year behind her at the American Academy of Wizardry asked with a smirk. Ellen rolled her eyes and laughed.

"I'll let Bierce explain, it's good if he thinks he has a good idea once in a while." she smiled.

"Hey, I heard that, Wilde." Bierce laughed, sitting next to her on the desk and sighing as he surveyed the room. "Alright, so, Wilde brought to my attention that perhaps since the Order of the Phoenix has helped us out and they're in a bit of a bind over there with Voldemort, maybe we should send in some reinforcements for them." he explained, seriousness suddenly filling his voice. A few of the Aurors nodded in agreement while others looked skeptical. "Wilde has already volunteered her services and suggested that about five others go with her. As soon as we figure out who is going I'll send a message to Albus that you'll be there by tonight."

After the five best and most willing Aurors were chosen, Bierce sent them home to pack the necessary things for a month in England. Ellen returned to work a few hours later, dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a work shirt with the inconspicuous American Auror symbol on the back and a patch with her name on the front. She shuffled into her bosses office to wait with the other two that were already there.

"Montgomery and Harrison aren't here yet." Bierce said as he pushed through to take a seat at his desk. "Albus is going to send six of his Order members to take you to their headquarters side-along. The house has plenty of rooms but is a bit cramped so you'll have to bear with them. They may be sending you on small missions from time to time but I get the idea that you'll just be there as an extra security measure." he explained, happy to see the last three Aurors quietly enter his office. Just a few minutes later, six people apparated into the rather large office, nodding around.

"Hi, guys." Ellen smiled, figuring she'd introduce everyone. "I'm Ellen Wilde, this is David Montgomery, Shawn Harrison, Keith Alfred, Morgan Hernandez, and Stephanie James." she said, motioning from person to person and extending her hand to shake the hand of the rather foreboding English Auror with the magical eye.

"I'm Alastor Moody, this here is Dora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus Lupin, and Hestia Jones." Moody basically grunted, nodding with finality and never letting Ellen's hand go. She cocked an eyebrow and looked to her boss for help. Bierce shrugged and smirked, chuckling a little. "Shall we go? It'd be best to get back quickly and get settled in, a few of us have things to do." Moody grunted again, nodding to the other members of his group. Ellen sighed and shook her head.

"See you in a month or so, Bierce." she waved, taken aback by the abruptness of the tug behind her navel. She shook her head as her eyes adjusted to the lack of light in her new location. A musty smell crept into her nose and she couldn't help but cringe. "Nice place you have here." she said flatly.

"Best we could do." Moody mumbled, marching off towards the kitchen. Tonks stumbled a bit as she passed, smiling pleasantly and motioning for everyone to follow. Ellen followed close, a bit amused in remembering the costuming of the English wizarding world. She glanced around to see the others smirking in amusement as well as they entered the cramped kitchen. She instantly spotted the 'boy-who-lived' and smiled awkwardly at him as he looked her over appraisingly.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, why don't you three go on back up and continue packing for school." a red headed, kind looking woman said soothingly while simultaneously stirring a large pot and charming the dishes in the sink to clean themselves. "We have some business to attend to here." she smiled. The three shuffled out reluctantly, looking confused about the new house guests. As soon as they were out of ear shot the new members took seats and waiting for the sagely man at the end of the table to start speaking.

"Now, as you all know, the American Order of Protection for Non-Magical Beings has sent six of its best Aurors to aid us for a month, perhaps longer if necessary." Dumbledore said seriously. "They'll be staying here amongst us, so please make them feel welcome as they are helping us without us asking." he finished with a small smile. "Now, let us discuss any new information we might have."

"People 'as been sayin' 'round Knockturn that Voldemort is getting' Inferi together." a rather gross, shady looking man said quickly. Dumbledore nodded gravely, glancing around the table and sighing heavily. "They says Voldemort 'as been tryin' to use the Imperius curse on some of the people workin' at the Ministry." he added.

"Thank you, Mundungus." Dumbledore smiled weakly, looking more worried than he had before. "I had feared that he would be moving quickly but I am surprised to hear that he is moving so quickly to already be using Inferi." he sighed heavily, removing his half-moon spectacles and rubbing his eyes. "Alright, I suppose that should be all for now. I'd rather not put too much on our new friend's shoulders too fast. We'll meet tomorrow after we've had some time to think." Everyone stood and nodded as Dumbledore said his goodbyes, disapparating silently. Ellen sighed and shook her head rapidly, following her group out and glancing around at her English counterparts to see who looked like the best candidate to ask about a room. She noticed a taller man with sandy graying hair in a cardigan that looked rather innocuous compared to the clumsy, pink-haired Tonks and the shifty-eyed Moody.

"Uh, hi, I'm Ellen Wilde, you're... Remus, right?" she smiled, extending her hand. "I was wondering if you could show us our rooms, I'd really like to settle in and unpack." she said pleasantly.

"Oh, of course, absolutely. I'm sorry." he chuckled. "Nice to meet you, by the way, Miss Wilde." he shook her hand quickly. "Sirius is around here, somewhere. Let's go find him to see which rooms are available." Remus said absently, leading them up the stairs. "Sirius, where the bloody hell are you?" he yelled.

"Oi, I'll be right there." an irritated voice called, followed by stomping. "Ah, sorry. I forgot we had guests." he smiled sheepishly.

"Sirius, this is Ellen Wilde and er... the Aurors from America who's names escape me at the moment." Remus said apologetically.

"Well, come on then. There are just enough rooms left, fortunately, I believe. With Harry, Ron and Hermione leaving tomorrow that should give us more space if there isn't." Sirius said brightly, waving for them to follow.

Ellen sighed as she shrank her trunk again, satisfied to see that everything was unpacked. She placed it on the top of the dresser with an exhausted sigh and glanced around her new home. She glanced at her watch and then mumbled to herself that she should reset it. She turned quickly as she heard someone knocking lightly on her door.

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**So, like I said, I'm interested in your opinion. If you like it but have an opinion on how to improve, let me know. To me, it feels a bit rushed and a bit weak but I'll let you guys decide. Let me know.**


	2. Meeting Grimmauld, Chatting With Remus

AN: Yay, another chapter! One I actually like! Double Yay!

Okay, so it would appear that AmAurWer may just have a sisterfic. If you've read my brother's story The Hunt, which I highly suggest (rich in Sirius Slashy goodness), you'll see Onyx, the lovably animagus scamp. Go look that up.

So, if you start to notice anything at all about Ellen's personality, no, it isn't major I'm just checking, let me know in your review. I love to get comments about my OCs. I hope this is twice as good as I think it is because I made myself pay attention to this rather than The Gryffindor Nightmare because... well, there was only one chap for this one lol. Enjoy. Mwah! Review, my friends, and I will love you forever.

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"Come in." Ellen called with a sigh, straightening her shirt as she turned. Remus leaned against the door frame, smiling warmly as he eyed the room.

"Molly says dinner is almost ready." he said, stepping over the threshold, hands in his pockets. Ellen nodded. "All settled in?" he asked.

"As much as can be expected." Ellen sighed heavily, flopping onto the edge of her bed and looking around her room with a look of disdain. "There's no shortage of anti-muggle art work, is there?" she asked quietly, eyeing a peculiar statue of two wizards hand in hand with the words 'tujour pur' scrawled ornately at the base.

"No, the Black family wasn't known for it's muggle sympathy." Remus said softly, his smile fading slightly. "However, Sirius managed to fall pretty far from his family tree." he added. Ellen nodded as she sighed once again. "Shall we go to the kitchen, then?"

"I'm not really hungry, at the moment. I had heard mention of a library downstairs and I was thinking of checking the book selection. I don't want to be rude but the time change has me a bit fuzzy still." she shrugged. Remus nodded understandingly.

"Would you like a quick tour of the house after dinner?" he asked.

"I wouldn't want to keep you from any work you might have to do." Ellen offered. Remus shook his head.

"Oh, not at all. I really just wander about until anyone needs me." he chuckled. "That and I make sure Sirius doesn't cause any trouble. He has a certain affinity for ruffling Molly Weasley's feathers." Ellen laughed.

"Alright, then." she agreed. "After dinner, if no one else needs you, I think I would enjoy a tour." she smiled. Remus beamed.

"Good, then." he smiled warmly. "Should I tell Molly you won't be joining us? I can't make any guarantees that that will work." he chuckled.

"No, all this discussion has made me hungry." Ellen laughed, standing and stretching her arms above her head as she yawned. "You're quite persuasive."

"Ladies first." Remus grinned, bowing as he held the door open for her. Ellen chuckled and shook her head as she followed him down the stairs, eyeing the 'artwork' with hidden disdain.

She was happy to see that the kitchen had an entirely different feel due to the fact that it was bustling with people. A cropping of redheads glanced inconspicuously at their new temporary house mates. The two tallest ones watched Ellen, matching grins spread across their identical faces.

"Seems you're the only one joining us, your friends have all taken potions to sleep through until tomorrow morning so they'll better adjust to the time change." Arthur said from the head of the table. Ellen glanced at Remus with an eyebrow cocked. He smiled back apologetically and shrugged.

"Do all American Aurors dress like muggles?" Harry Potter asked curiously from beside of the red headed twins.

"Most American wizards do, for that matter." Ellen explained. "That would be why it's always like a new experience for me to meet a wizard from outside America." she chuckled. Harry nodded understandingly. "You dramatic English with your robes and strange customs."

"Do you have a Ministry there?" a rather inquisitive, curly haired girl that sat neat yet another red head asked.

"Well, sort of." Ellen shrugged. "It's almost like the muggle FBI. In America, we have our own wizard laws and courts but we tend to abide by the muggle laws quite strongly." she explained. "Our government is called the Agency of Magical Affairs and it breaks off into different, specific branches that sometimes work hand in hand with the muggle branches of similar work. I work in the American Order of Protection for Non-Magical Beings, which includes everything from muggles to non-magical animals and plants and I have a brother that works in the Wizard and Muggle Rights division. Basically, my brother helps to write the laws and I do my best to enforce them." she explained with a smile. The girl nodded in wonder.

"Do you enjoy what you do?" she asked, looking as though she could tell that Ellen loved her job.

"Oh, immensely." Ellen chuckled. "I actually started off working with my brother and after working for a year and half tirelessly trying to improve the rights of werewolves, vampires and elves I realized that a job change was in order." she laughed. "Now, I do the same by showing people that most of the time, those three are not the culprit." Ellen noticed as she finished her explaination that all eyes were trained on her. The curly haired girl was beaming across at her, looking grateful.

"That is absolutely wonderful of you." the girl gushed. "I started an organization to try to spread knowledge about the horrors that house elves face but it didn't get me anywhere."

"Hermione, spew was an awfully stupid name." the red head between her and Harry said reasonably.

"It's not 'spew', Ronald, it's S.P.E.W." Hermione spat back, obviously stepping on his toes underneath the table. Ron cringed and bit his fist as he let out a pained squeak. Ellen chuckled at the interaction.

"No matter what the name, that was a noble thing to do." she smiled softly. Hermione smiled gratefully.

"Would you like a pin? I believe I still have a few." she asked hopefully. Ellen shrugged and nodded. Hermione beamed ear to ear, only glancing away as the other occupants filtered slowly into the kitchen. Sirius was followed close by a rather tall man, black hair surpassing Sirius' in length. He seated himself directly next to Sirius, chatting quietly with him as the others talked amongst themselves. Ellen's brows furrowed in confusion because she hadn't seen him at the meeting.

"Who is that guy?" she asked Remus with a smirk, leaning close so no one else heard. Remus chuckled quietly.

"That would be Onyx Lestrange, his cousin married Sirius' cousin Bellatrix." Remus whispered, eyeing the two with a grin. "He teaches History of Magic at Hogwarts. He and Sirius have been an item since as far back as I care to remember." he added. Ellen nodded, eyebrows raised as she noticed how cute the two were together. "Onyx, I don't believe you've met Ellen. She's one of the American Aurors that has come to help the Order." Onyx smiled a good natured smile and nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Ellen." he said simply before returning to his conversation with Sirius. Ellen chuckled quietly to herself as she saw the two kiss quickly before turning their attention to Molly and Arthur.

"Right, you lot, remember to get an early morning because we're all going to see the children off. A few of you are going to be patrolling the grounds at Hogwarts during the year." Arthur announced as Molly served dinner.

Ellen ate quickly, happy to have a warm meal that hadn't come from her microwave back in her home. Once everyone had finished she shuffled towards the library, seating herself comfortably in a chair as she glanced at the rather formidable number of books lining the walls.

"How about that tour?" Remus asked from the doorway, smiling as he leaned against the door frame, hands stuffed into his pockets. Ellen smiled sheepishly.

"Guess I forgot." she chuckled, lifting herself a little reluctantly from the overstuffed chair and following Remus into the hall.

"So, you've seen the library and the kitchen." he smirked, opening a door just across from the stairs. "This is the tapestry room, it's basically the Black family tree." he explained. Ellen nodded.

"Looks as though a few members were burned off." she said quietly as she ran her fingers over one of the burned faces. Beneath it was a scroll with the name 'Andromeda' printed ornately. Connected to it was a burned spot with the name 'Nymphadora'. Ellen looked over at Remus, remembering that Dora Tonks had called Sirius 'cousin' in passing. "Tonks?" she asked. Remus nodded. Ellen shook her head and sighed. "That's a pretty name, though. Nymphadora." she said as she kept examining. Remus cleared his through purposely, jerking his head to signal that she should follow. They stepped into the hall again and Ellen followed him up the stairs.

"The only other thing of any great interest is the upstairs study." Remus explained, reaching the top landing and pausing. "Really, it's just like a second library." he chuckled. Ellen laughed. "Perfect place to write a letter to anyone special across the pond." he nodded, smirking.

"Special... so that's my brother and," she paused, feigning thought. "And yeah, that's it, my brother." she chuckled.

"No wizards courting you?" he asked, his smirk widening. Ellen scoffed.

"No." she shook her head. "There are wizards I see in court though." she smiled, shrugging. Remus laughed.

"Hello, you two." Sirius said from behind Ellen on the stairs, breaking their conversation. "Showing her around this dusty, moth eaten hell I call home?" Sirius asked brightly, leading Onyx by them by the hand. Ellen nodded politely at him, happy to receive a warm smile in return.

"Remus has always been quite the gentleman." Onyx grinned, nudging Remus as he passed. "You behave, now, Remus."

"Thank you, Onyx." Remus sang, vaguely glaring at the two as they disappeared into their room.

"They are cute, aren't they?" Ellen asked with a smirk. "Sometimes I wonder what I'm missing out on." she added quietly, shaking her head before she turned her attention back to Remus. "Wizard's Chess?" she offered. Remus shrugged and nodded, following her back downstairs and into the library.

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So I covered some things that you'll need to know later. This is kind of just pounding out some of the finer details about Ellen's world vs. the average Brit-wizard's. In my opinion, any one in their right mind would see a purple velvet floor length robe and think the wearer a bit odd. Maybe that's just be. Of course, if I could wear flowy, black, velvet and lace Victorian dresses every hour of every day I would... anyhoo... You should totally review now and tell me I'm odd but also what you think of my story. 


	3. Chess! Chats! Stupid, stupid, damn!

AN: Ah, so. Back from vacation! I didn't really make a big notification to any of the people that read my stories that I was leaving so... sorry about that! Ever have such a need for a vacation that once you know you're leaving you cannot think of anything else? Yeah, that was what it was like for me. So yeah, sorry it took for ever to update this. I'm trying to be regular about it but I can only update as often as I get anything on it. Thanks for reading... a review would be fantastical, ya know? hugs the readers

Also, sorry for it's shortness. I just felt like I needed to get something else down there before I felt like I had abandoned it. More will come later. Sorry.

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"Play another?" Remus asked with a sly smile.

"Remus, you've beaten six times already." Ellen laughed, shaking her head. "I highly doubt that what ever luck I may have is going to come around now."

"It seems your pieces are about to mutiny." Remus laughed, glancing at the board. Ellen looked down and saw several of the pieces huddled together, casting angry glances her way as a few others shook their fists at her. Ellen chuckled nervously and slid her chair back.

"No, I think that's enough chess for me tonight." she sighed, stretching her arms above her head in a great yawn as she glanced at the clock. "So, which Order members and which Aurors are going to be patrolling Hogwarts?" she asked, bending her neck to the side to stretch.

"Tonks and Hestia are going, then I heard that Ms. Hernandez and Mr. Montgomery were both going." he replied, standing as she stood. Ellen nodded, glancing down at the chess board and sighing as the pieces glared at her mutinously.

"Perhaps I should head to bed before my pieces plot my demise." Ellen chuckled nervously as the king shook his fist. Remus laughed and shrugged. Ellen glanced at the clock and sighed. Despite all her yawning, she really didn't feel all too tired just yet. "Lets go sit on the couch," she paused, shuffling him away from the board."They're making me nervous." Remus followed, taking a seat next to her. Ellen patted the couch and chuckled as she watched dust whirl through the air.

"It hasn't had a good once over since I met Sirius." Remus laughed at the expression on her face. "Walburgia wasn't exactly the cleaning type and she never forced much work on the house elves." he explained, leaning back comfortably. Ellen followed suit, propping her feet up onto the coffee table with a contented sigh. "So, what's it like being a wizard in America?" he asked.

"About like being a muggle in America." Ellen laughed, turning towards him. "But, we have wands." she smirked, feigning wonder as she pulled her wand from her pocket. Remus laughed and pulled his own wands. "I see you have those here." she chuckled.

"I suppose it's a requisite." Remus nodded seriously, a smirk playing on his lips. "No robes, though?"

"Not unless we're doing Shakespeare, no." Ellen smiled. Remus laughed and shrugged. "Even then, not purple ones." she added. "I appreciate a good cloak, though." she smirked playfully.

"Cloaks are nice." he smiled, lighting the fireplace before them with a flick of his wand. "So what made you want to become an Auror?" he asked, turning from the fire back to Ellen. She sighed, and crinkled her nose in thought. "It's not something many people are interested in becoming."

"Oh, I wanted to be an Auror as far back as I can remember." Ellen shrugged. "My first year at the American Academy of Wizardry was probably the year I knew. In our Dark Arts Defense class, I was completely enthralled from day one because actual Aurors would come in and talk to us. By seventh year, I had gotten an 'O' every year and the Agency of Magical Affairs accepted me for training." she explained, smiling softly as she remembered. Remus nodded, watching her expression change as she thought, and smiling inwardly.

"Your colleagues spoke quite highly of you." he offered. "The general consensus is that you're quite dedicated."

"Well, I'll give them that." Ellen chuckled softly. "I think it has a lot to do with the fact that while I started out trying to improve wizard rights, my passion was in making sure justice was served. A very good friend of mine had a lot of trouble with the Agency after he contracted lycanthropy." she sighed, shaking her head. "No matter how many times we proved that he had taken his Wolfsbane, they always went after him. Finally, he ran here and I haven't heard from him since."

"That's terrible." Remus said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder and rubbing it comfortingly. "We have similar issues with the Ministry." he said, voice full of understanding.

"And I'll tell it to anyone that asks, werewolves, vampires, house elves, they're all living beings." Ellen said, voice flooding with conviction. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think I dated a vampire." she added with a chuckle. Remus laughed and smiled.

"I'm not sure I've ever met one." he shrugged.

"Oh, they're quite nice. Just like with wizards and muggles, there are good ones and bad ones." she explained, obviously very passionate about the discussion. "Only, people have this odd idea that because they need blood to survive that killing is easier to them than everyone else. Same with werewolves." she shook her head with disdain. "Honestly, most werewolves I've met are gentle people because they've had to deal with the pain of transformation, and prior to Wolfsbane entering their equations, the constant worry that they've hurt another person. It disgusts me to think of them being mistreated." Remus bit his lip and fought the urge to throw his arms around her. He felt as though, even though she wasn't a werewolf herself, that she actually understood him.

"I'm a werewolf." he said in a small voice. Ellen's eyes widened as she locked them with his. She threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Oh, Remus." she whispered. "And here I am ranting on and on about it." she chuckled weakly. Remus wrapped his arms around her slowly and loosened as he hugged her in return. He couldn't help but realize that her hair smelt vaguely of strawberries. She pulled away slowly but kept a hand on his shoulder. "How long?" she asked.

"I was about ten." he sighed, looking into her eyes. "Sirius, James, and Peter used to accompany me during my transformations, so it wasn't so bad. They became animagi so they could sneak out of school." he added with a small smile. Ellen laughed.

"They'd have made great Aurors, then." she smiled, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. "See, you're probably the most gentle person I've ever met, which only proves what I've always said that much more." she nodded with finality. Remus smiled.

"Thank you." he sighed. Ellen ruffled his hair gently.

"Any time." she chuckled. Remus laughed and corrected his now disheveled hair, catching Ellen's eyes again with his own. He was surprised by the urge to close the distance between them and kiss her. Ellen blinked rapidly and sighed, glancing at the clock. "Well, I suppose I should go on to bed. Early morning tomorrow." she said, standing quickly and straightening her shirt. Remus nodded, mentally slapping himself in the forehead, as he stood. "Well, goodnight, Remus." she said awkwardly, hugging him quickly before shooting up the stairs to her room.

Ellen closed the door behind her and sighed, rolling her eyes and slapping herself in the forehead. _Stupid, stupid, stupid. _She chastised herself. _Way to make an idiot out of yourself. _She thought to herself. _Him and his sandy hair and his pretty eyes. Damn. _She sighed heavily as she threw herself onto her bed. Just a few short minutes later she was snoring lightly, face buried in the pillow.

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OKAY! You! Yes, I'm pointing at you! Go, review my story. Come on. It's the only way I know whether you enjoy it. Constructive criticisms and general praise or critiquing is welcome. 

I tots swear I love you forev if you be a dear and review my story.


	4. Poor Moony, French Maid, Meeting Bella

AN: Happy Easter!! I'm posting this before I leave for all my family festivities because I got a wonderful little spark of drama. There wasn't much, but it's paving the way for more. Bellatrix makes her first appearance, and certainly not her last as she has a wonderful built in history with her former betrothed, Onyx, who ended up with her despised cousin, Sirius. Hahaha, I love built in histories. It gives just enough to play with. I think Remus and Ellen are starting to make eyes at one another nicely (love that term, 'make eyes') and I think it's quite obvious that the friendship between Onyx and Ellen is going to be a ton of fun to write and quite easy to play out. I do so love this story.

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Remus cracked an eye open against the sunlight filtering through the window in a thin sliver. He sighed at his misfortune, being able to wake up in a dark, musty room where for one hour a sliver of sunlight filtered through and he always managed to get both his eyes directly in that particular sliver of space. He turned his head and blew the sandy hair from his eyes with another sigh before deciding it best to get up. He strode, yawning heavily, towards the bathroom, grabbing clothes on his way. After a shower, he dressed and brushed his hair, marching out into the hall and heading towards the kitchen.

"Morning, Moony." Onyx mused as he exited his room, Sirius close behind. "How did Miss Wilde enjoy her tour last night?" he asked, a teasing smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Remus narrowed his eyes as he felt his cheeks burn.

"Immensely, and how many times did you have to repair the antique bed in your room?" Remus joked, smiling victoriously as Onyx's eyes narrowed and Sirius flushed a deep red.

"How's Molly doing on breakfast?" Sirius asked, attempting to change the subject. Remus shrugged.

"Anyone not awake right now had better prepare to get hexed into consciousness because breakfast is ready and I'm coming up." A voice with an American accent called up the stairs, proving the statement by pounding up the stairs. Ellen stopped abruptly to see the three staring at her, smirking. "Oh, good morning, Onyx, Sirius, Remus." she smiled, grinning at the last name.

"Good Morning, Ellen."Onyx smiled sweetly, glancing devilishly at Remus before stepping forward and placing an arm around Ellen's shoulders. "What would you think about the three of us, you, Remus and I going shopping today?" he asked. Ellen's brows furrowed.

"What about Sirius?" Ellen asked, feeling quite confused. Sirius stepped forward and placed an arm around her waist.

"I, regretfully, cannot attend." he smiled roguishly. "Being an escaped, albeit innocent, convict, the Ministry is looking for me. But, you three should go and have fun. Onyx will buy me something nice, he always does." he explained lovingly, glancing flirtatiously at his lover.

"I see." Ellen said in a small voice, looking back at forth at the two and feeling slightly uncomfortable being between such a passionate pair. "Uh, I suppose that would be alright if no one else needs me to be doing anything." she chuckled nervously, stepping back and letting the two walk alone to the kitchen. She stopped Remus. "Are they always that creepy?" she squeaked.

"No, they aren't morning people." he smiled weakly, shooting a glare at their retreating backs. "You'll have to get used to them acting like reticulated pythons this early." he smiled, nudging her playfully before poking out his elbow gentlemanly. "Shall we?"

"But of course." Ellen replied, doing her best English accent and sounding more like an Australian with a head cold. "I never was any good at accents." she mumbled to herself. Remus laughed and bowed at the entrance to the kitchen.

"Madam." he said, kissing her hand. Ellen chuckled as her eyebrows rose and her cheeks went pink.

"Morning, Remus, Ellen." a rather sage voice said from the end of the table. Ellen turned to see Albus Dumbledore smiling warmly at her. "I trust you settled in well, Ellen?" he asked.

"Very well, sir." she smiled back, taking a seat between Remus and Onyx, Molly skittered about, laying food on their plates. "I didn't expect to see you here, what with today being the day Hogwarts opens officially to students." she said conversationally.

"Ah, being that some of the Order members and some of your fellow Aurors are coming to Hogwarts, I thought I'd escort them." he replied, taking a rather large drink of orange juice. "I must say I was surprised to hear that you would be staying behind as it was partially your idea to come."

"Well, to be honest, I thought I'd be of more help going on missions here than protecting the students." Ellen shrugged. "I move quickly and I think well on my feet and Hogwarts is super protected. Besides that, I'm not so good with kids." she added with a chuckle. Dumbledore chuckled, and nodded, digging into his food and smiling gratefully at Molly as she skittered about more.

"Merlin's pants, woman, sit down and eat." Dumbledore laughed finally. Molly instantly dropped into a chair and gaped at him, eyes wide.

"I've been trying to get her to do that for 35 years, Albus." Arthur laughed ruefully, shrinking back and quickly looking down at his plate when Molly shot him a glare.

"So, how did everyone else sleep last night?" Ellen asked, attempting to change the subject. "Because I slept great." she added with a smile as she surveyed the table.

"Other than the bed being dusty, which was easy enough to take care of, I slept great." David shrugged before digging hungrily into his food. A few others kept silent, obviously uncomfortable, and began to eat as well.

"Despite the rather foreboding appearance of the house, you guys do a good job of making us feel welcome." Stephanie James smiled. Ellen smiled inwardly that her fellow Aurors were adapting so quickly.

"The severed heads of house elves aren't really helping though." Morgan said frankly, smirking. Her smirk faded in noticing that Sirius was staring at his plate. "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you."

"It's alright." Sirius sighed, glancing around. "I've been meaning to redecorate but I haven't really felt at all like this place was somewhere I wanted to spend extended periods of time." he added, smiling weakly.

"I could help you guys clean it up, though." Ellen offered. "I mean, if I'm not needed anywhere, that is, Onyx, Remus, you and I could clean it. A little elbow grease would do this place some good."

"Why not just magic it clean?" Sirius asked, nose scrunched in confusion. Ellen laughed.

"I've cleaned houses like this before. My parent's old house was about like this and magic can only do so much in the face of six inch deep dust and grime." she said sagely.

"It might actually be fun, Sirius." Onyx mused, baiting Sirius and nudging him playfully.

"If Moony's okay with it, I'm okay with it." Sirius conceded, glancing at Remus. Ellen beamed at him expectantly, bouncing in her chair. Remus laughed.

"Sounds alright, to me." he chuckled, surprised to feel Ellen throw her arms around him in a hug. "How can you be that excited about cleaning?"

"Because I was a French maid in a past life." she joked, digging into her food happily afterwards. Remus choked on his bacon. He took a large drink of coffee and tried to clear his throat, shooting a glare at Onyx as Ellen continued to eat, unfazed.

Once they'd finished eating, Ellen donned her coat and waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs for Onyx and Remus as they ran back upstairs to get their money. Ellen knew she'd have to go to Gringott's and exchange her money for galleons and whatnot, and she was quite perturbed to do so. No matter how much she valued equality, goblins scared her more than a little with their grudge against humans and their almost always sour attitudes. She shuffled from one foot to another, getting rather impatiently, when she finally heard footsteps pounding down.

"So, Gringott's first, correct?" Remus smiled, placing a hand on the small of Ellen's back and leading her towards the door. She nodded, flipping through her wallet fondly.

"I'm going to miss paper money." she said with a sigh, fingering a few of the bills with a frown. "They can't have my change, though. I wonder if they'll have an ATM so I can take out more money." she said to herself, beginning an inner dialogue. Onyx laughed and shook his head.

"We'll stop at an ATM in London first, then head to the bank." he smirked. Remus glanced between the two, obviously puzzled.

"An Auntie Em?" he asked.

"ATM." Ellen said clearly, emphasizing the letters. "It's an automated teller machine, like a computerized goblin for muggles."

"Muggle stuff." he nodded. Ellen laughed.

"Yes, muggle stuff." she smiled.

"You trust your money in a muggle bank?" he asked skeptically.

"You trust yours with mean, angry goblins?" she asked in response. "I could do without having seeing a goblin every time I withdrawal money. I've been scared of them since I was a kid."

"They aren't so bad." Remus said reasonably, keeping an arm around Ellen as they side-along apparated into Diagon Alley.

"Garden gnomes aren't so bad, centaurs aren't so bad." Ellen said, wagging a finger in his face and frowning at his smirk. "Goblins, Remus, are scary and mean. Not to mention, they hate humans." she whispered, glancing around cautiously. Remus laughed and pushed her finger down.

"Would you feel better if I went and exchanged your money for you?" he asked condescendingly. Ellen's eyes narrowed.

"No, Mr. Lupin, I would not." she huffed, stepping forward and linking arms with Onyx. She frowned, lowering her head and handing Onyx the bag. "Could you go in for me, goblin's scare me." she asked quietly.

"I heard that." Remus mused from behind her. Onyx stifled a laugh and nodded quickly, taking the bag and shaking his head.

"I'll be right back with that." he chuckled, leaving Ellen and Remus to make faces at one another.

"Care to get some ice cream while we wait?" Remus asked. Ellen considered him for a moment then shrugged.

"No weird flavors?" she asked cautiously. Remus laughed.

"Only a few, but there are normal ones." he replied. Ellen shrugged again and nodded, following him towards the building. She looked up and couldn't help but laugh.

"Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor?" Ellen snorted, glancing from the tarnished, ornate silver letters to Remus. "That's not an odd name, or anything." she laughed, following him inside. Both whipped around quickly as they heard a scream outside. Three masked, black robed figures stalked through the middle of the street, firing curses at the people fleeing into shops for safely. Onyx stepped out, brows furrowed at the sudden panic, wand in hand. Ellen removed her wand slowly, backing along the building, Remus mimicking her.

"Onyx LeStrange." one of the male's on either side of the female mused threateningly. The female in the center cackled and waved her wand, causing her mask to evaporate.

"Cousin, I see you brought your convict wife out for a stroll." Onyx sneered.

"Blood traitor tramp, how dare you speak." The woman yelled, voice raising a few octaves as she sauntered haughtily in his direction.

"Petrificus totalus." Ellen called. Remus' eyes bulged as he pointed his wand and did the same to the other male. Both fell at the female's sides and she glowered at Ellen and Remus.

"The wolf has a mate?" she grinned. "You always were a frightened little cub when others were around, weren't you?"

"Shut up, psycho." Ellen growled through gritted teeth. "He's brave enough not to have to wear a mask when he does his bidding, isn't he?"

"How dare you speak to me, American werewolf whore." the woman hissed.

"Look, lady, I don't know what it is that got your knickers in such an uncomfortable bunch, but relax." Ellen snorted, widening her stance and cocking an eyebrow.

"Bellatrix, take your husband and brother-in-law back to your little hole in the ground and go cackle insanely at someone that gives a damn." Onyx seethed, widening his stance as well and preparing for a major confrontation. Bellatrix bent to the side, considering her fallen allies then sunk to the ground and apparated with a loud pop.

"She always was rather frightened of you wasn't she, Pomtail?" Remus smiled in relief. Onyx smiled and sighed, nodding lightly as he remained focused on the spot that Bellatrix and the other two had just occupied.

"That woman is in dire need of a mental institution and some pills." Ellen sighed, reluctantly placing her wand back into her pocket and turning to Remus. "Shall we head back?"

"It's probably not a bad idea." Onyx nodded remorsefully. "That was odd, that Bellatrix and those idiots came today."

"Not really, perhaps they were coming to attack a few unwitting last minute students shopping for supplies for school." Ellen shrugged. Onyx and Remus nodded darkly. Remus linked arms with Ellen and sighed.

"Let's get back before they decide to come back. We should tell Dumbledore about this." he said before apparating.

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I'd like to thank everyone that has reviewed this story. Especially those of you that have offered help. You know who you are and thank you. If any of you have any opinions, feel completely free to voice them in the form of a review! Again, Happy Easter. If you don't celebrate it, like I don't, then have a wonderful Sunday.


	5. Cookies, Tea, I want to hold your hand

AN: So, I know, its not really long, but it was harder to get out. Working this and Gryff, keeping my mother off my back by helping around the house, and attempting to formulate yet another story that is mulling around in my mind (on PAPER even) has me a bit strapped for attention lol. Along with that, my friend is attempting to write what amounts to a futuristic Equilibrium style... book? I'm not sure what it is, anyway, and the boy can not only barely spell his own three letter name, but he's not so good at weaving a complex and entertaining tale so I'm playing editor. Bleh... anyway, thank you to all that read and review my little Remus/OC here, I know I don't always reply to them but I really do appreciate and love you for reading and reviewing. So, on to the short update!

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Remus rubbed his eyes as he padded cautiously around the long kitchen table on his search for a midnight snack. He searched the cupboards for cookies and snatched a box of chocolate chip and a box of Earl Grey tea bags. He waved his wand and was happy to hear the kettle spring to life as he hoisted himself onto the counter. His thoughts went back to the events of the day and being surprised to see how skillfully Ellen had reacted to the Death Eater attack in Diagon Alley as he watched the kettle soar from the sink onto the flame of the burner. He swung his feet back and forth as he felt his lips tug into a smirk.

"Oh, please, say to me, you'll let me be your man and please, say to me, you'll let me hold your hand." he sang, munching on a cooking and nodding his head back and forth as he waited for the water in the kettle to boil. "Now let me hold your hand, I wanna hold your hand." he sang with a smirk. His mind flashed to the intense looks she'd had as she lost at chess and the determination on her voice as she'd told off Bellatrix.

"Aaaoooo, werewolves of London." Onyx bellowed from the doorway, arms crossed and eyebrow cocked, showing his amusement. "What's got you up so late?" he chuckled, tugging a chair from underneath the table and taking a seat next to the counter.

"Couldn't sleep." Remus shrugged, thinking of a way to lie but still be honest. "I couldn't stop thinking about today at Diagon Alley." he added. Well, that's true enough, he thought to himself.

"Me either." Onyx sighed, fidgeting with his robe belt and shaking his head. "Dumbledore was right when he said that it didn't bode well for us that the Death Eaters are feeling so brave." Remus nodded mournfully. "Anything else on your mind?" Onyx asked quickly, obviously trying to catch Remus off guard.

"Er, no, shouldn't that be enough?" he asked, almost pleading. Onyx chuckled and let an eyebrow raise.

"What about what happened today would have you smirking like a fiend, singing 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' and eating cookies?" Onyx asked, crossing his arms expectantly. Remus flushed crimson, stuffing a cookie into his mouth and shrugging.

"I want you to want me, I need you to need me-" Ellen's muffle voice stopped abruptly as she reached the doorway, eyes wide. "Oh, crap, I didn't think anyone else was up." she flushed red and smiled sheepishly at them.

"No problem, you actually just missed Remus and his rendition of 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'." Onyx smirked, shooting a teasing glance at Remus before tugging a chair from the table and motioning for her to come in and have a seat.

"Cookie?" Remus smiled, pushing the box towards her. Ellen considered it before snatching it away and examining the box. "I'm making tea, as well. You American's drink coffee, though, right? I'm sure there must be some of that in one of these cupboards." he shrugged. Ellen shook her head vigorously before pulling a cookie from the box.

"No, coffee does weird things to me, I'll only drink tea." she said offhandedly, stuffing a while cookie into her mouth and sighing contentedly. "Mmm, chocolate is so good." she mumbled to herself. Onyx's eyebrows rose as he glanced at Remus, as though her previous statement proved something.

"It does solve many problems." Remus nodded, reaching over and removing the whistling tea kettle and summoning three cups. Onyx shook his head.

"No, thank you, I'm going back to bed." he yawned, patting Ellen on the shoulder. "Good night."

"Night, Onyx." Ellen called as Remus handed her a cup of hot tea. She took a sip and smiled. "I love Earl Grey, although I've never had it with chocolate chip cookies." she chuckled. Remus laughed and sighed contentedly. "So what kept you up?" she asked.

"Death Eaters." Remus said, deep in thought. Ellen nodded darkly and shook her head. "It worries me that they're that brave." he sighed.

"That Bellatrix woman worries me most. She's unhinged." Ellen shuddered. "I took it that she and Onyx know one another well?"

"Unfortunately, yes. They were arranged to be married but Onyx was in love with Sirius and vice versa." Remus said. "Onyx and Lucius Malfoy were dating at the time and were both set to marry two of the Black sisters, Bellatrix and Narcissa. Lucius tried to get Onyx to get the dark mark with him and Onyx refused. After that, he openly refused to marry Bellatrix, he left Lucius and we accepted him into our group of friends, James, Peter, Sirius and I, that is." he explained. Ellen nodded and sipped her tea, listening intently. "Bellatrix has hated him ever since, just as much as she hates her cousin Sirius."

"At least now Onyx and Sirius are happy and together." Ellen smiled. Remus smiled softly and nodded.

"That's true." he sighed. "They're lucky." he added, his smile fading. Ellen's smile faded as well.

"That they are." she sighed, looking down at the tea cup cradled in her hands. "Maybe Onyx can give me some advice on how to find an attractive, single wizard that isn't evil or as bright as Gilderoy Lockheart." she chuckled. Remus smiled weakly and nodded.

"I've been wondering whether I should ask him for advice, myself." he mumbled, taking the box of cookies and taking one fro the box.

"You couldn't possibly have trouble finding someone, Remus." Ellen said matter of factly. Remus' eyebrows rose.

"One of the many disadvantages of sprouting hair and howling at the moon once a month." he shrugged. Ellen leaned forward and smirked playfully.

"I often have similar issues." she whispered conspiratorially. "They make potions for both." Remus couldn't help but laugh. "Besides that, there is one advantage: you will probably never officially be bald."

"You have a point." Remus nodded seriously, feeling his lips twitch. "Do you think, perhaps, you'd like to try shopping in Diagon Alley tomorrow?" he asked suddenly, momentarily confused at his bravery.

"Sure, should we ask Onyx?" Ellen asked. Remus shook his head, glad to have an excuse.

"No, he's leaving in the morning for Hogwarts." he smiled, happy that it was the truth. "He is a teacher after all." he chuckled. Ellen grinned sheepishly.

"Must have forgotten." she shrugged, stifling a yawn. "Well, Remus, I believe I'm going to try to sleep again. Thank you for the tea and cookies." she smiled, standing and stretching her arms above her head. He nodded and slid off the counter, placing the dishes in the sink.

"I'll walk you." he smiled, faking a very convincing yawn as he followed her from the kitchen. Ellen wrapped herself tighter in her robe as she slowly ascended the stairs, Remus right next to her the entire way.

"So, since I didn't get to see the shops, where are we going tomorrow?" Ellen asked quietly.

"We can get ice cream, perhaps look around at books, there's a shop for almost everything." he shrugged.

"Perhaps we could also look around muggle London as well?" she asked hopefully. Remus chuckled and nodded.

"If you really wanted to, that would be fine." he shrugged.

"Well, it is my first time here in London, I think it'd be fun to see both wizard and muggle London." she yawned as she stopped at her door. "Well, uh, thanks for walking me." she chuckled nervously, placing her hand on the knob. Remus smiled warmly and leaned against the wall.

"My pleasure." he laughed. He sighed and stretched his neck, waving his hand a little before heading towards his own room. Ellen paused as she heard him humming 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' again and felt her cheeks flush as a smile crept across her lips.

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AN: I enjoyed my little concept chapter, here. It was nice writing something mildly conceptual about a few songs that have been bouncing around my head for a while. I dare say, you may see a recurrence of 'I Want to Hold Your Hand', 'I Want You To Want Me' and maybe others. I love love love those songs. Thanks for reading, I'll love you forever if you review now!


	6. Books, Hugs, and Yippee Dances

_AN: Two updates in two days! OMGWTFBBQSAUCE... That pretty much describes my reaction, at least. Anyway, I had the first part of this written but yeah... I generally like to try to have at the very least 4 pages written before I'll post an update and I just didn't have that until today. Thank the laundry loads and the alone time for these updates. Anywho, :) So here's a little bit that sort of slowly adds to the development of Remus and Ellen. Hope you like it! Also! Know that there is some action coming. It's just around the corner, I should think..._

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Remus awoke with a smile and slid his feet over the side of his bed. It was still slightly dark outside and he knew he'd never be able to get back to sleep with only an hour until sunlight started filtering through his windows. He sighed, rubbing the five hours worth of sleep from his eyes and decided to shower first then have breakfast. Ellen had seen him in his pajamas once and that was one time too many, in his humble opinion. Remembering her request that he not dress like a wizard, he deliberated shortly before deciding on a pair of khaki colored pants, a white shirt, and a forest green sweater. After a quick shower he brushed his hair and headed towards the kitchen which he was quite surprised to find uninhabited by any remaining Weasleys. He quietly grabbed a pan and set to making toast, eggs, and ham the muggle way. The smell, he was sure, would wake someone eventually.

"That smells delicious." Sirius croaked, clearing his throat and flopping into a chair. His brows furrowed as he cocked his head to the side. "What in the name of the Gods are you doing up so early?" he basically grunted as he crudely scratched his chest.

"I woke up early and knew I'd never get back to sleep so I decided to make breakfast." Remus replied, rolling his eyes with a smirk. "Care for something to eat?"

"Have I ever turned down a plate of food before?" Sirius asked as he summoned some silverware. Remus chuckled and sat the plate in front of his best friend. "Why the trouble sleeping, Moony?"

"You are just as nosy as your mate." Remus said casually as he mentally deliberated on making waffles. "Would waffles be too much?"

"For what?" Sirius asked in confusion. "I like waffles."

"For breakfast." Remus answered quickly, pulling the milk from the fridge and pouring Sirius a glass.

"Why are you being domestic?" Sirius laughed. "It's frightening me."

"I just felt like cooking, why are you asking so many questions?" Remus shot back. Sirius looked as though he was counting them in his mind.

"So two questions qualifies 'too many', now?" he chuckled. "Note taken, I shall reform my knowledge of etiquette."

"Someone should." Remus huffed, turning to pull out the waffle iron and place it on the stove. Sirius narrowed his eyes in curiosity as he heard his friend begin to hum.

"You're happy." He said simply. Remus ignored the comment. "You're cooking, you're happy, you're humming, and you have only ever made waffles once before. . ." he trailed off. Remus cringed. "The last time you made waffles was right before you bought that canoe and let your hair grow out for that girl Karen Cauvery. Oh, my…"

"Shut up, Padfoot." Remus sang warningly.

"Moony has a crush!" Sirius sang. "Moony has a crush on a girl. Oh, it's delightful." He teased.

"Padfoot, haven't you a fox animagus to demoralize?" Remus shot.

"I don't think Onyx would appreciate that." Sirius wagged his finger, still smirking.

"Seems as though he might appreciate it a lot before he leaves." Remus said, completely skating over the subject and returning to his waffle batter. Sirius chuckled.

"I'm happy for you, Moony." He said softly. "Who is it?"

"You're so dense." Remus mumbled, stirring his batter in fervor. "So very, very dense."

"Its one of those Americans, isn't it?" Sirius asked, leaning over his empty plate and keeping his voice low. He glanced through the doorway and seemed content that he couldn't see anyone.

"Go, see your husband before he leaves for Hogwarts. If you must pry into my life, I'll fill you in later." Remus ordered, pointing his finger in the direction of the stairs. Sirius frowned and let his shoulders slump.

"I wanted waffles." He whimpered, barely able to hide the smirk tugging at his lips. Remus's eyebrows rose dangerously and Sirius sighed before sulking away. "Morning, Ellen." Sirius's singing voice came muffled from the stairs. Remus stiffened and stirred his batter faster, filling the iron before beginning to make a plate for Ellen.

"Morning, Remus. That all smells absolutely to die for." Ellen complimented him. He turned to hand her a plate and almost lost all balance. Her hair was still slightly wet and hung in loose curls as it was still drying. She had chosen a pair of dark jeans and a well fitting, black, long sleeved shirt with the name of some American muggle band on the front. The sleeves were too long and came almost to her knuckles. He handed her the plate and some silverware before turning to attend to his waffles. She walked silently to the counter, filling a kettle with water and placing it on the stove next to the waffle iron. She never stopped smiling as she searched for tea bags and tea cups. "We're still going out today, right?" she asked.

"Yes, of course." Remus smiled. Ellen nodded happily as she stood on tip toes to peek over his shoulder. She sighed happily and caught a whiff of his cologne, causing her cheeks to flush. She slinked quickly back to the kettle just inches away and stared at the reflective side, trying to remember just what it was that she had meant to do. "Find those tea cups, yet?" Remus voice shook her from her confusion. She glanced over to see him nod his head in the direction of the cabinets on the other side of him before scurrying to them and removing two solid looking mugs.

"So glad I didn't find any of those dainty, floral cups everyone uses." Ellen mumbled to herself as she placed the two cups and two sets of silverware neatly across from each other. Remus couldn't help but chuckle. "You don't need to say it, I know, I'm totally neurotic." She smiled, blushing.

"No, not at all, I just think its rather funny how you express distaste for dainty tea cups but set the table up the proper way." He shrugged, flipping the last waffle onto a plate and placing it onto the table. He dipped out her breakfast for her before taking his own plate to the table and waiting politely for her to take her seat. "Have a good rest?"

"I did, actually." Ellen nodded, tucking into her food. "What got you up so early?"

"I woke up pretty early and I knew I'd never get back to sleep so I took a shower, got dressed and decided to make breakfast for us before we set off." He shrugged. Ellen smiled sweetly and the two finished eating in silence. "Did you bring a coat down with you from your luggage?" Remus asked nonchalantly as they headed towards the coat rack. Ellen shook her head.

"Actually, no." she chuckled at herself. "I'm not really positive that I even brought a coat with me, which was immensely stupid of me."

"Not at all." Remus shook his head rapidly. "You can borrow mine."

"What will you wear?" Ellen asked, perplexed as she pushed away his offered coat. Remus persisted, placing the coat over her arm and putting his hands up to stop her.

"I absolutely will not take no for an answer. I'll go get another jacket from my room." He smiled kindly. Ellen frowned slightly but nodded in concession. She slipped the brown tweed coat over her shoulders and smiled softly at the warmth before realizing that it smelled just like his cologne. She frowned slightly to herself when she felt her cheeks flush once again and did a quick wave of the wand to make the coat fit her more comfortably. Remus strode down the stairs in a dusty blue tweed jacket and poked out his elbow.

"Shall we?" Ellen asked with a nervous sigh. Remus nodded and as Ellen made to walk to the door, Remus apparated them into Diagon Alley. Ellen coughed, not expecting apparition, and bent to catch her breath.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked, bending and wrapping am arm around her waist. "I'm sorry, I should have said something."

"No, no, its fine." She said, catching her breath. "It's alright. I'm fine." She said, standing quickly and smiling, tipping a bit from standing too fast. Remus steadied her and she covered her face.

"You're sure?" he asked cautiously. She nodded, letting her head clear and taking a deep breath. "Alright." He nodded. "To Obscurus Books, then?"

"Sure." Ellen smiled. "Shall we shop around for a while and then find a place for tea?"

"Absolutely, then we'll head to a few muggle shops. Oxford Street has a book store and a few clothing stores as well." Remus smiled. Ellen nodded, linking arms with Remus and smiling inwardly as he led her down the winding, ancient looking cobblestone path. Though the weather was on the cold side, the sun provided nice warmth on their faces as they ambled comfortably along Diagon Alley. Remus could not help but smile deeply at the sight of Ellen politely holding the door for him at Obscurus Books, then grabbing his hand and tugging him along like a child tugs a parent through a sweet shop.

"This is positively brilliant, Remus." Ellen whispered, as though she was in a library. "Look at all these books, I could lose myself for months and never realize it." She said in quiet astonishment.

"I wasn't aware you liked to read that much." Remus chuckled softly. Ellen's eyes never ceased their wandering search, as though she was attempting to memorize the lay out of the store or figure out its secrets.

"Well, really just the old classics. Dickinson, Poe. I'm weak for poetry." She said almost breathlessly before she turned to Remus again. He was smiling pleasantly and he helped her off with her coat.

"Then you'll want the back room, farthest on the right." Remus advised expertly as he held her coat and his own and bowed just slightly. Ellen flushed at the unfamiliarity of such gentlemanly gestures and followed Remus' lead with her head down and her lips refusing to release their smirk. "Poetry is something I've always loved, as well. My mother used to read poetry to me when I was a child."

"I was always partial to Forgotten Language by Shel Silverstein when I was younger. My father was a big fan of his and would read to me from his books when I was going to sleep." Ellen smiled playfully. "You're English, you have to love poetry."

"It's true; when we're children they give us pasties when we read a poem." Remus smirked, nudging Ellen jokingly. "Sirius must have resisted the pasties when he was a child because he doesn't much care for poetry. Onyx loves it, even venturing to write a poem now and then, which is a talent I've never had."

"I'm sure you'd write very good poetry, Remus." Ellen smiled. Remus blushed and turned his attention to the stacks.

"Any particular author you're looking for?" he asked.

"I haven't read much poetry by wizards. Could you recommend any good books?" she asked. Remus searched the shelves in silence before smiling slowly as he pulled two old books from the shelf. He handed her one and kept one in his hand.

"_A Cauldron of Classics._" Ellen read the cover. She smiled.

"All of the best poetry written by witches and wizards in the last 300 years." Remus smiled.

"What's that you're buying?" she asked as she flipped through the books.

"Just an old book I've been looking for." He said casually. Ellen shrugged and followed him to the counter. They paid for their books and stepped outside. Ellen glanced around as Remus grinned wide and extended the bag towards her. Ellen's brows furrowed as she reached inside. "A gift." He said simply. Ellen pulled the book from the bag.

"_Where Muggles Fear to Tread _by…" she gaped at the book for a moment before looking up at him in happy surprise. "Shel Silverstein?"

"I thought the name rang a bell." He smiled.

"He was a wizard?" she beamed in amusement.

"Apparently so." Remus chuckled. Ellen placed the book back in its bag and threw her arms around Remus in a hug. He blushed slightly and slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you so much, Remus. That was so sweet of you." She grinned as she pulled away. She glanced inside the bag, threw her arms up and did a little dance while giggling and saying things like 'yippee' and 'woohoo'. Remus laughed when she cleared her throat and blushed. "Sorry, I just love Shel Silverstein." She smiled in embarrassment.

"No need to apologize. I'm glad you like it." He smiled. Ellen linked arms with him and dragged him further down the street.

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_AN: Awwwww! He bought her a book by her favorite author! Wasn't it sweet what I made him do? lol Anyway, thanks for reading. Please review, if you would. I do appreciate getting those. If not, just take your cookie and know that I flippin' love your squishy little face for reading my story. :) -squishes your face and hands you another cookie- You squishy faced little huggle-reader._


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